


Hope

by mistyautumn



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Gen, across time and space Kara inspires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:44:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22311142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistyautumn/pseuds/mistyautumn
Summary: A thousand years later, Kara still inspires hope.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	Hope

**Author's Note:**

> An answer to the prompt "Kara saves Querl's life" that took me in maybe a less expected direction.

The museum is a beautiful place, emblazoned with the Kryptonian glyph that Earth’s people took for an ‘S’ one thousand years ago. It’s full of relics and replicas and what precious history remains of the House of El; Superman and Supergirl. Mon-El, who walked beside them, has given the place new life, with new history that has brought about new exhibits, art work…he has truly illuminated a piece of the life of Kara Zor-El. He encourages others, too, to live by her example, in the Legion of Heroes.

It was him and Imra who suggested Querl come here. 

He has been living among the Legion of Heroes for three weeks. He doesn’t belong. He knows that, but they seem convinced otherwise because the Naltorian ( _Nura_ something in him supplies gently; he pushes the thought down) had a dream that Querl is sure she misunderstood. _Not everyone can be a twelfth level intellect._ They insist. He avoids them. At least the lab is decent. He spends most of his time holed up there, creating equipment that might be useful. For him. ( _It could be useful to the Legion._ Why would they trust anything made by a Brainiac?)

He’s upgraded his image inducer; one useful thing. He uses it today, so no one stares. He finds himself staring though, when he turns and winds up face to face with Kara Zor-El. Just an image, yet her blue eyes hold his dark ones for a long moment. Her eyes are warm, as is her smile; a warmth that comes through even though it’s just a picture. 

She draws him to venture further into the exhibit. There is a model of the pod that carried her to Earth, a new fabrication of the suit she wore, and a hologram at the center…

Her hands rest on her hips, her cape and hair caught lightly in a breeze. She looks to Querl and smiles and his lips press together.

_You will never belong among them. You are a Brainiac. What could you ever be but something to be feared?_ He squares his shoulders and tilts his chin up with something like defiance.

“You would despise me, too.” He says quietly, steps back, turns away from the sunlight even her hologram radiates. His eyes fall on a screen at the far end of the hall and in spite of himself, he approaches. She is sitting at a desk, speaking; not a rendering or a piece of art, but Kara Zor-El herself… Supergirl. _Mon-El must have provided this somehow…_

“ _It’s easy to feel hopeless._ ”

She speaks and as he draws close, it feels like she is staring _into_ Querl.

“ _We retreat, we lose our strength, we lose ourselves. I know. I lost everything when I was young. When I first landed on this planet, I was sad and alone. But I found out that there is so much love in this world, out there for the taking. And you, the people of National City, you helped me. You let me be who I’m meant to be._ ”

Something seizes in his chest. ( _Who are_ you _meant to be…?_ )

“ _You gave me back to myself. You made me stronger than I ever thought possible, and I love you for that. Now, in each and every one of you, there is a light, a spirit that cannot be snuffed out. That won’t give up. I need your help again. I need you to hope._ ”

His breath catches softly and he realizes tears are falling from his eyes. Glad he is alone, he scrubs them away. ( _Is there any light left in you? Any hope?_ )

“ _Hope… that when faced with an enemy determined to destroy your spirit, you will fight back and thrive. Hope… that those who once may have shunned you will, in a moment of crisis, come to your aid. Hope… that you will see again the faces of those you love. And perhaps even those you’ve lost._ ”

He takes a shaky breath and wonders what it might feel like to be loved. To have companions. To have family– _real_ family. And as he gazes at Supergirl, whose words have looped back to the beginning, he feels something… In his heart there is a longing, a flicker, a spark… to be more than his family name. To rise. To do something _good_. He feels it now- a droplet- a _wave_ \- and it almost brings him to his knees. _Hope_. When did he last feel hope?

Hours later he stands before her hologram again. He has absorbed every ounce of history the museum has to offer. Drank it all in once; again; committing it to memory. He can replay her speech in his mind’s eye; transmit it to a screen to watch again. He can readily rattle off all known history. He learns of Astra- a heart she turned. Of Non- a heart she didn’t. She smiles at him, at least her hologram does, and he feels… gratitude.

“Thank you, Supergirl.” He says softly.

Taking a breath he steps back, the first hints of a smile curving his lips.

“Thank you.”


End file.
